confuse

1 to throw into a state of mental uncertainty the similar-sounding words “censure” and “censor” often confuse people Synonyms addle, baffle, bamboozle, beat, befog, befuddle, bemuse, bewilder, buffalo, confound, discombobulate, disorient, flummox, fox, fuddle, get, gravel, maze, muddle, muddy, mystify, perplex, pose, puzzle, vex Related Words stick, stump, weird out; abash, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle; agitate, bother, chagrin, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, stun, unhinge, unsettle, upset; beguile, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, humbug, misguide, mislead, snow, string along, take in, trick Phrases blow one's mind, go to one's head Near Antonyms assure, reassure, satisfy; enlighten, inform

2 to make (something) unclear to the understanding stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts Synonyms becloud, befog, blur, cloud, fog, muddy, obfuscate Related Words complicate, perplex, sophisticate; entangle, snarl, tangle; disarrange, disarray, discompose, dishevel, disorder, disrupt, disturb, jumble, mess (up), mix (up), muddle, scramble, shuffle, tousle, upset Near Antonyms simplify, streamline; disentangle, straighten (out), undo, unravel, unscramble, untangle; decipher, decode; analyze, break down Antonyms clarify, clear (up), illuminate

3 to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement Synonyms conflate, confound, mistake, mix (up) Related Words lump (together); misapply, miscall, misidentify, misname Antonyms difference, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, separate

4 to throw into a state of self-conscious distress she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal Synonyms abash, confound, embarrass, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattleRelated Words agitate, bother, chagrin, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, put off, put out, unhinge, unsettle, upset; debase, degrade, demean, humble, humiliate, queer, shameNear Antonyms calm, comfort, console, relieve, soothe; buoy, cheer, embolden, encourage, hearten; assure, reassure

5 to undo the proper order or arrangement of vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files Synonyms disorder, derange, disarrange, disarray, discompose, dishevel, disjoint, dislocate, disorganize, disrupt, disturb, hash, jumble, mess (up), mix (up), muddle, muss, rumple, scramble, shuffle, tousle, tumble, upsetRelated Words embroil, entangle, snarl, tangle; agitate, perturb, stir (up), unsettle; clutterNear Antonyms align (also aline), line, line up, queue; classify, codify, methodize, systematize, systemize; adjust, fix; groom, make up, spruce (up); unscrambleAntonyms arrange, array, dispose, draw up, marshal (also marshall), order, organize, range, regulate, straighten (up), tidy